Even the Daily Telegraph news group says the Crossrail is in effect a flawed scheme. That Brown has got it wrong. So KHOODEELAAR says Scrap Crossrail

KHOODEELAAR! No to “:Crossrail hoe plot Big Business Agenda" CAMPAIGN

1758 Hrs GMT London Friday 16 May 2008


How can Gordon Brown, who persisted in claiming to be competent all day on Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 May 2008, ignore these writings and carry on the pretence? UNless of course he too believes that he is politically about to become a gonner? SCRAP the lying, Gordon and scrap the lies-fuelled, lies-filled Crossrail scam. It is typical of the malady, the disease that underlies the crisis of crass capitalistic corruption of resources and of the ‘government’.... Now even the small business organisations are crying FOUL at Crossrail funding scam... Where is your prudence, Gordoin.... Be prudent and listen and scrap this one NOW [To be continued]


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Business calls for supplement rethink
By Jonathan Russell
Last Updated: 12:24am BST 16/05/2008

The Government is facing another tax row with the business community over plans outlined this week to make businesses pay for up to £5bn of local infrastructure projects.

Business groups including the CBI, the British Chambers of Commerce, British Retail Consortium and the Institute of Directors are calling on the Government to rethink the implementation of Business Rate Supplements.

David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Businesses face a very tough economic environment... there is the potential for a lot of additional taxes such as road pricing, taxes on parking and now supplementary business rates. The public sector needs to wake up to the role business plays in supporting the economy, it cannot just keep raising taxes."

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The limited guidance revealed this week did little to allay fears that councils might use the new powers to boost general tax revenue rather than pay for specific schemes. The Government said it would allow councils to raise business rates, set at 46.2pc of rateable value for 2008/9, by two percentage points.

Last year the Institute for Public Policy Research calculated that the levy could cost businesses £350m a year, income used to pay for infrastructure projects worth about £5bn.

Businesses will have little or no control on how the money is spent. Business leaders want the Government to allow affected companies a vote on whether the tax should be levied and input on how the money is spent.

Tom Ironside, a policy expert at the British Retail Consortium, said: "This is potentially the biggest change to how local authorities raise money for 20 years. We are arguing for a strengthening of safeguards in the legislation. We want businesses to be allowed to vote on the implementation of the taxes and are looking for clarity on what schemes could use this kind of funding."

The only significant business organisation that is supporting Business Rate Supplements is London First, which represents companies in the capital. As the new levy will be used to pay for about a third of the cost of London's proposed new east-west rail link, Crossrail, the tax is crucial to the project's success.

London First says that as the new tax will be levied only on businesses with a rateable value of £50,000, it will effectively be restricted to London.

But with the growing number of extra local taxes on areas such as car parking, road pricing, the community and infrastructure levy, the majority of business groups are firmly opposed to the tax in its current form.

Institute of Directors director general Miles Templeman said: "The Government claims that it is in 'listening mode' yet the representations made by the IoD and others on Business Rates Supplement have been wholly ignored. These government plans are so damaging that an immediate rethink is required."
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